Hi All. Wanted to add this bit I just saw. Lo and Behold the Church of England has begun a process to explore gender neutral terminology for God. Interesting!
I have been talking about a simpler form of this in 12 step recovery interactions for years.
While impossible to divorce from the divinity that spawned the 12 step recovery process in its current form, the prevailing wisdom of the time and place, literally the seeds for the creation of the 12 steps were entirely Christian-centric and 100% patriarchal dogma, even as the writings genuinely try at times to temper that with numerous exhortations to feel free to choose your own individual concept of a God of your understanding. That has always been unpalatable to me.
I’ve noticed that as I occasionally “Rontificate” on the things that you’ve written about, some entrenched adherents view my editorializing of, and points against the overriding traditionally Christian nature of the writings unfavorably. In spite of the inherent hurdles which that narrow teaching creates to the changing needs and perspectives of the suffering seekers, increasingly more of them are finding their way to a broader, more inclusive and inviting path by rejecting the built-in restrictions that a strictly Christian, patriarchal route offers them in favor of the type of universality that you discuss. This means that they have gained a vital opening, granting them access to a saving Grace that they may have previously denied themselves because of the restrictive (in their minds) natures of the original teachings. This new perspective can guide them to a different understanding of what spiritual redemption and healing can look like. The type of approach and perspective that you write about, granting immediate and full access to the Divine power will save more lives and souls than all of the other narrowly defined approaches ever have or ever could.
With your background and all of the work you’ve done for your own growth and development, you’ve found your place in helping to gently and lovingly shepherd the suffering, wherever they may presently be lost to a place of peace and redemption.
Because of your developing style of ministering, many will be led by you to a more gentle, pure, genuine understanding of what Gods love is and what it can do for them as individuals. You will be changing the world literally one enlightenment at a time.
That is what true ministers are divinely chosen to do.
Congratulations on the awesome and miraculous milestone that your ordination will be.
I'd like you to pick up on Brian Swimme where you could bypass all that lovely descriptive material to tune into yourself to being of the Earth, not on it, in an endless evolutionary process of which we humans are a part. The universe itself is what you'd call God, always evolving itself. I did a Substack on Brian that you could reference.
Also, by the by, my email address, suzanne@mightycompanions.org (Mighty Companions is an old website of mine), comes from the Teachers Manual of the Course -- paraphrasing, that midway in the path of the teacher, that all will eventually be on, you will stop, you will rest awhile, you will shed unnecessary things, and you will not go on alone but will go on with mighty companions. I've been looking for my mighty companions for decades.
Hi All. Wanted to add this bit I just saw. Lo and Behold the Church of England has begun a process to explore gender neutral terminology for God. Interesting!
Your take on things was brilliantly presented.
I have been talking about a simpler form of this in 12 step recovery interactions for years.
While impossible to divorce from the divinity that spawned the 12 step recovery process in its current form, the prevailing wisdom of the time and place, literally the seeds for the creation of the 12 steps were entirely Christian-centric and 100% patriarchal dogma, even as the writings genuinely try at times to temper that with numerous exhortations to feel free to choose your own individual concept of a God of your understanding. That has always been unpalatable to me.
I’ve noticed that as I occasionally “Rontificate” on the things that you’ve written about, some entrenched adherents view my editorializing of, and points against the overriding traditionally Christian nature of the writings unfavorably. In spite of the inherent hurdles which that narrow teaching creates to the changing needs and perspectives of the suffering seekers, increasingly more of them are finding their way to a broader, more inclusive and inviting path by rejecting the built-in restrictions that a strictly Christian, patriarchal route offers them in favor of the type of universality that you discuss. This means that they have gained a vital opening, granting them access to a saving Grace that they may have previously denied themselves because of the restrictive (in their minds) natures of the original teachings. This new perspective can guide them to a different understanding of what spiritual redemption and healing can look like. The type of approach and perspective that you write about, granting immediate and full access to the Divine power will save more lives and souls than all of the other narrowly defined approaches ever have or ever could.
With your background and all of the work you’ve done for your own growth and development, you’ve found your place in helping to gently and lovingly shepherd the suffering, wherever they may presently be lost to a place of peace and redemption.
Because of your developing style of ministering, many will be led by you to a more gentle, pure, genuine understanding of what Gods love is and what it can do for them as individuals. You will be changing the world literally one enlightenment at a time.
That is what true ministers are divinely chosen to do.
Congratulations on the awesome and miraculous milestone that your ordination will be.
I'd like you to pick up on Brian Swimme where you could bypass all that lovely descriptive material to tune into yourself to being of the Earth, not on it, in an endless evolutionary process of which we humans are a part. The universe itself is what you'd call God, always evolving itself. I did a Substack on Brian that you could reference.
Also, by the by, my email address, suzanne@mightycompanions.org (Mighty Companions is an old website of mine), comes from the Teachers Manual of the Course -- paraphrasing, that midway in the path of the teacher, that all will eventually be on, you will stop, you will rest awhile, you will shed unnecessary things, and you will not go on alone but will go on with mighty companions. I've been looking for my mighty companions for decades.
Congrats!! I look forward to what God is leading you to be. Maybe I'll see you when you'll be giving a talk at Unity of Portland the next time.